Dimensional Storekeeper

Chapter 211: Snake Charmer Meets System Firewall

The atmosphere shifted. What started as casual fun had turned into full-on study sessions. People were analyzing everything – stances, angles, grip styles. Even the way someone leaned over the table became a topic of daeep discussion.

They watched every game, every shot, hoping to find that tiny detail that could give them an edge.

But above all, their eyes were locked on Hao whenever he so much as touched a cue stick. The storekeeper, in their eyes, sat comfortably at the top.

The one true master of billiards.

If Hao played even a single round, you could feel the air shift. Everyone would subtly edge closer, pretending to browse nearby shelves while secretly trying to memorize his every move.

Every break shot, every smooth tap of the cue ball – it was all sacred knowledge!

Behind Hao, the employees were their own terrifying mystery. Mo Xixi, the young store crew with a cold stare? Deadly precise.

And then there was Tian Lu, that silent, scary-looking guy. His shots were clean and cold, no wasted movement at all. Just watching him made people feel like they were up against some hidden grandmaster.

Fortunately, the tournament rules were clear: employees couldn’t join. A small mercy, really. After all, employees probably played way more often.

The rest only got one game a day. Who knew how many rounds those two had clocked in?

They were simply on another level, and everyone silently thanked the heavens they didn’t have to face them.

As for the real contenders for the championship? The list was short but fierce. Old Tiger Zhao with his wild style and unpredictable shots.

Sect Master Jiang Xianwei, composed and calculating, turning every shot into strategy.

Elder Bai Qingshui, steady as a mountain, every move made with purpose. And then there was Lin Yijun – losing on purpose?

That’s what people whispered. His string of defeats was clearly just bait. He was holding back, waiting for the right moment to strike. Probably.

Everyone studied each other’s plays with the seriousness of martial training. Positioning, timing, reading the opponent’s intentions – these weren’t just billiards skills anymore. T

They were lessons in combat, in strategy, in life. Because in this tournament? No one was just here to knock balls into pockets.

They were here to win!

No doubt about it.

But tomorrow?

Tomorrow was the last day for practice.

Hao had just finished arranging the tables, stacking the leftover chalk cubes, and wiping off the counter.

He was five seconds away from flipping the “Closed” sign –

The door creaked open.

Hao paused.

A new face stepped in.

Stranger? Definitely. Cultivator? Maybe. Buyer?

…Unlikely.

But then the man walked straight to the fridge, grabbed a can of Cola, and strolled to the counter.

Pulled out exact payment.

And paid.

Paid.

Hao blinked.

He didn’t expect anyone to walk in at this hour.

He especially didn’t expect them to actually buy something.

That alone already made the man suspicious.

But what made Hao pause wasn’t the transaction – it was the man himself.

Tall. Slender. Long black hair that swayed when he moved.

Skin brown and smooth from travel under the sun. Sharp eyes that flicked across the shelves with unbothered ease.

He was undeniably handsome.

No. Not just handsome.

Unreasonably handsome.

But his clothes… that was where the confusion began.

A mix of hunter gear, formal sect robe, and what suspiciously looked like a sleeveless vest made from stitched-together herbsack fabric.

It was giving ’rogue fashion disaster’ with a dash of ’I got dressed in a dark cave.’

Hao couldn’t quite place it, but there was something familiar.

A strange déjà vu scratching at the back of his head.

And then –

’Little Sneak?’

Kurome’s voice came behind. She leapt to the counter, tail twitching, eyes wide.

’You’re already back?’

Hao blinked.

Wait what.

Little Sneak?? That Little Sneak?!

The loud-mouthed rat that had the ego of a young master and the size of a potato??

This… this was his human form?

Hao just stood there.

Staring.

Processing.

The new customer – no, Little Sneak – grinned, completely unfazed.

Without hesitation, he strode up to Kurome and threw his arms around her in what could only be described as a reverent side-hug that didn’t match his cool, human form at all.

He buried his cheek into her arm.

It was a little too comfortable. Way too familiar. And for someone now sporting sharp cheekbones and a tall frame, it just looked… off.

Kurome blinked.

Little Sneak did not care.

He held on for one more second – then stood back up, dusted himself off, and turned to Hao.

His expression instantly changed.

That polite joy? Gone.

He squinted at Hao, a disappointed uncle spotting a discount fruit seller trying to scam him.

“Yo. Human. Been a while.”

What.

Hao didn’t even know where to begin.

Was this a common thing? Did all beasts turn into poster models when they reached a certain realm?

Was this why the world was always doomed to handsome troublemakers?

Little Sneak looked like the kind of man that girls would scream for back on Earth.

Tall, lean, with an effortless swagger that said “I’ve outrun five sects and still had time to fix my hair.”

Hao raised a brow, about to speak –

When something slithered out from behind Little Sneak’s neck.

A small slender black serpent!

Its body gleaming with smooth, violet-edged scales. Its eyes glowed deep purple, staring straight into Hao’s.

Then the mist thickened.

And from it, she rose.

First came the legs, long and toned, wrapped in silk-thin shadows. Then came the hips. Wide. Dangerous. Sculpted by whatever ancient being was clearly playing favorites that day. Her waist curved in so tight it looked criminal.

Her robe clung to her frame in all the right places, deep obsidian threaded with violet shimmer that caught every shift of air. The front dipped low enough to make someone choke on their own qi, and the side slits ran far too high, showing thighs that could end wars and walk away without a scratch.

Her skin held a bronze glow under the store’s lights. Smooth. Sharp. Almost unreal.

Jet-black hair poured down her back, tied loosely with a silver serpent clasp. Her black lips pulled into a knowing smirk.

She tilted her head.

Then came the voice. Smooth. Smoky. Amused, but not in a friendly way.

“So this is the human, huh?”

“…”

Kurome’s tail flicked once behind her. Her gaze sharpened.

’Whis. What are you doing here?’

Her tone was cold. A drop in temperature that made the air feel heavier than stone.

The mommy-coded baddie didn’t even flinch.

She didn’t spare Kurome a glance. Her eyes remained locked on Hao.

And then they changed.

From violet to a glowing, hell-deep red.

Kurome’s pupils shrank.

Her voice lowered into a warning growl.

’Stop. Whis. Now.’

But it was too late.

That wasn’t just a stare anymore.

Whis had activated it.

The Crimson Coil.

An ancient bloodline ability passed down through the darkest serpentine branches of the Pumbral Clan.

It wasn’t charm.

It was domination.

The kind that slipped past spiritual defenses and crept into your soul, wrapping around your thoughts like a lover’s whisper and a dagger’s point all at once.

One moment of eye contact, and your body would no longer belong to you.

You’d smile. You’d obey. You’d fall in love. You’d do whatever she told you.

And you’d be convinced it was all your own idea.

If left unchecked, even a Heavenly Emperor Realm cultivator could fall… and spend the rest of their life as a well-dressed puppet.

Kurome stepped forward.

The tips of her claws extended slightly.

Her voice was ice. ’I said stop.’

She wasn’t worried about Hao. Not even a bit.

If anyone tried to mess with her master, they’d be the one needing saving.

But this wasn’t about danger.

This was about disrespect.

To Hao.

And to her.

Because Whis knew exactly what she was doing.

The red eyes. The charm ability. The slow circling. That wasn’t a coincidence. That was a test.

A challenge.

Kurome had known her sister long enough to recognize it when she was in one of her moods. That look she had?

It was her “let me see if your man is worth it” face.

She’d already interrogated Little Sneak, no doubt. Dug up everything. And now she was here, trying to see with her own eyes what kind of man could make Kurome stay in a place long enough to call it home.

But Kurome wasn’t just some beast who got tamed.

She had bowed to no one in her entire life.

Until Hao.

And that was her choice.

So if Whis had a problem with that…

She better brace herself.

Hao felt something brush against his mind – soft, quick, barely a breath.

It didn’t stick.

Before he could even frown, a familiar voice rang sharply in his head.

[Alert: Unique charm ability has been cast on host. Analyzing… Countermeasure active.]

[Initiating automatic punishment sequence against caster. Host authorization not required.]

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